Yesterday, I tested one of the recipes I want to do for Christmas. Easy to make,  this cozy dessert has plenty of “wow” factor and it looks like a beehive.

This is an elegant dessert and is fancy enough for a dinner party and also can be made ahead.

Ingredients:

• 4 small pears
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 50 ml cognac (optional)
• 1 small lemon, halved
• 3 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 to 8 whole cloves
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg

Directions:

Peel pears and core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. 

In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, lemon halves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cognac and cloves. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds; add bean and seeds to sugar mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; place pears on their sides in saucepan and poach, uncovered…